Probably the most politically-charged issue in American education in recent years has been the Common Core State Standards. This blog has covered CCSS over that time, here and here and here and here, just as a few examples.
This issue has again come to the fore because of the Presidential election season. Some Republican candidates, notably Gov. Jeb Bush, support Common Core and others are vociferous in their opposition to it. For Bush and many others, Common Core is a much-needed means by which students across the country can have rigorous 21st century education standards to shoot for. For those on the far right, Common Core represents yet another federal government attempt to usurp power from state and local governments. So, the question is, where did the Common Core State Standards really come from?
David Whitman of the Brookings Institution has penned a lengthy article declaring in no uncertain terms that Common Core was a conservative creation. In fact, he likens it to the conservative principles of Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The article is sure to ruffle some feathers but also to provide some needed clarification.
Following is the link to the article: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2015/09/08-conservative-roots-of-the-common-core-whitman/surprising-conservative-roots-of-the-common-core_final.pdf
